DURBAN North SAPS say they are undeterred by threats made by residents during police roadblocks. This comes after a roadblock on Swapo (Broadway) Road on Thursday. Five people were charged for various offenses in the stop and search operation. One of the drivers was also fined R500 for not wearing a seatbelt while four others were fined for not having valid licenses.

“A resident threatened to sue us for pulling him over during one of our operations. We will not be deterred by threats. These operations aren’t just about traffic offenders. We’ve had a spate of thefts out of motor vehicles in the area and part of our duties include stopping suspicious vehicles.

“This is also part of our visible policing and crime prevention for the year ahead. There will be more daylight operations such as this on different roads in the area. We ask residents to be patient with us because this is not about causing inconvenience, it’s about protecting the area,” he said.

Deokaran warned that there would be more roadblocks targeting drunk drivers as well. In Decmber last year, 250 motorists were fined for various offenses on the M4.